Electric-circuit controller.



o. P. lNoIsoM & H. KooNTZ.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1912.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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O. I. NOISOM L H. KOONTZ. ELBGTRC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY17,1912.

1,047,] 12, Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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oLE r. NoIsoM AND HARVEY xooN'rz, oF'soUrii BEND, JINDIANA..

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

4Specification of Letters Pate-nt. y Patented Dec. 1.0., 1912.

' Application filed J'uly 1'7, 1912. Serial No. 709,960.

Toy all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, OLE P. NoisoM andl type set forth wherein by means of a coin,

the electric circuit may be closed for a predetermined interval and wherein, when such interval has elapsed, the circuit will be automatically broken. I

It is also our purpose to provide an electric circuit controller wherein bymeans of a coin, 'the electric circuit may be closed for a predetermined interval `and 'wherein such circuitwill be opened when the prescribed interval has passed, means beingy provided tofeed a plurality of coins successively so that the circuit maybe maintained closed z for any desired period of time.

In the present instance, our invention is directed more particularly to a circuit controller for electric fans wherein by means of a prepayment attachment, the electric circuit to the fan motor may be closed for a certain length of time and wherein such circuit will be broken after the armature of the motor has made a given number of revolutions, means beingA providedfor controlling the flow of current to the motor` independently of the prepayment attachment after the coin has been inserted therein.

` 40 With the above and other objects in view,

Vthe invention consists inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein and falling within the.

inafter setv forth scope ofthe claims.

In the accompanying'dr'awings; Figuresl is la side elevation of an -electric motor equipped with thefpmsent invention" 'Figi 21s an enlarged vertical central section view through theprepayment attachment or cir cuit controller. Fig. 3 is a top plan Viewy of the `c asing inclosing the mechanism -of the circuit controller, the top plate, counter and coin magazine being removed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view.

In theembodiment of our invention selected for illustrative purposes,' we have shown our improved electric circuit controller as apphed to a series wound motor,

that is a motor wherein the field and arma-l ture are connected in series. It is to be understood, however, that the invention in its v useful application is not limited to any par'-,

ticular type of m'otor, as the same is equally applicable to motors 'of the shunt andvcomf V pound wound type. Furthermore, our infvention may be utilized wherever necessary for controlling an electric circuit.

Referring now to the accompanying dravv-A y ings in detail, A .designates an electric fan lmotor as an entirety which, in the present instance, includes an armaturel anda-field 2 connected in series with the armature, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Arranged inthe motor circuit -is a suitable form yofhand rheostat 3 adapted to varythe iio'w of current to the motor and capable of breaking the circuit tothe motor and. placing such motor in lthe-circuit with the resistance of the rheostat cut out, as' iswell understood,

Secured in any Asuitable manner tothe rear end of the motor casin, thatis the end opposite the fan blades,"i ja housing 4 constructed of any suitable material .and of any preferred shape and Idesigned 4to house or incase the mechanism of the circuitrc'ontrollerv andreceiving .the respective eXtremity of the armature shaft. Arranged within `the casing 4 and connected to the bottom and sidev walls thereof in any suitable manneryis a partition 5V having` the upper edge thereof spaced apart 'from the adjacent surface of the upper wall of the housing. The

-free end wall of the housing 4, 'is preferably provided with a hinged closure or the liket (-equipped with` a lock 7 and such end wall andvthe adjacent surface of the lpartition 5 form the coin receptacle, the door enabling access to b'ehadto the'receptacle so thatthe'coins therein maybe removed when-desired. '.Appropriatelyfastened to the recep-v tacle 4forming wall of the partition 5 are a -fpair of contacts ,8, 8 'suitably spaced apart' l and..in thepresent instance, formed of angle strips having the Vertical limbs thereof secured to the partition, while the horizontal limbs thereof extend into. the coin recep-- tacle immediately -below the upper wall thereof.

One of the conductors of the electric circuit is split or cut and the proximate termixnals' of the split portion are connected-to the` contact strips `8','8.'. 'f Thus, the motor circuit including the field and armature is open unless the contact strips 8, 8 are bridged. Formed in the upper wall of the housing 41 in alinement with the horizontal limbsl of the contacts 8, 8 is an aperture 9 and suitably fastened'to such wall and coaxial with the aperture therein is .a coin magazine 10 having a coin slot 11 formed in the wall thereof and housing a plunger 12V provided with a stem 13 extending ,out-

wardly ofthe upper wall of the magazine,

a coiled expansion spring or the like leencircling the stem between the upper surface of the plunger. and the adjacent wall of the coin magazine and acting, normally, to hold the plunger at its limit of downward moveg. ment within thecoin magazine, the end of the plunger adjacent the contacts having an insulated nib 15. When it is desired to close the motor circuit at the contacts 8, 8 irrespective ofthe rheostat `3, a coin such, for

1 instance, asa dime is inserted 4in the slot 11,'the plunger 12 having been previously elevated within the magazine to the position shown in Fig. 2. Succeeding the introduction of 'the coin into the magazine, the plunl ger is'forced downwardly under theaction of the springlt to securely hold the coin on'the yhorizontal limbs ofthe contacts 8, 8

. thereby bridging the'motor circuit. By manipulating the hand rheostat, the speed of the armature may be regulated or controlled at will and the current cut oft' independently ofA thebridged contacts, if such is desired,

the motor being thereby under the control of the consumer after the coin has been inserted in the magazine.

In order to eject the coin or'dislodge the samefrom the contacts so as to break the- 40 .circuit at a predetermined time, in the. pres'- v ent instance, after the motor -armaturehas f made a given numberI of revolutions, we employ means operable from the armature shaft and adapted to dislodge the coin `fromj the contacts after the armature has made a predetermined number ofv revolutions. This means, in the present instance, comprises a coin shaft 16 arranged vertically. within the housing 1` at an appropriate distance from the partition 5 on the other side of the coin Vreceptacle and having its opposite ends journaled in the top and bottom walls of the housing. Loose upon the upper end of the v shaft 16 and eccentrically mounted thereon is a disk 17 provided with a` radially extending vlejector pin 18 `and adapted to rotate l with the shaft 16. Suitable tension means is' employed to effect a connection between the disk 17 and the shaft 16 so that under certain conditions the disk will rotate with the shaft and in the.- present instance this tension device consists cfa spring 19 coiled about the shaft and having one extremity fastened thereto while the op osite extremity is fastened to the disk. ecured to the top wall of the housing and projecting inwardly thereof'is a pin or lug 20 disposed in the path of movement of t e ejector pin 18 and adapted to be engaged by the ejector pin in the path of movement thereof whereby the disk will be held against movement under the action of the shaft 16 and placed under tension, incident to the ceiling of the jspring 19 about the shaf By means of this construction, it will be seen that the ejector pin will rotate with the coin shaft and engage. the stop lug 20, the lug being positioned beyondl the peripheral edge of the coin on the horizontal limbs of the contacts 8, 8. Thus, when the spring 19 has been put under sufficient tension, the disk and ejector pin will be relieved of the influence of the stop lug and rotated with fa Snap thereby kicking the coin from the contacts 8. The coin magazine 10 is of such length as to accommodate a plurality of coins so that as one coin is dislodged the following coins may be'placed on the horizontal limbs of the contacts, under the action of the follower or plunger, thereby enabling the fan to be constantly rotated, without the necessity of retracting the plunger each time that a coin is dislodged from the contacts.

In order to rotate the coin shaft 16 so that the ejector pin 18 will actuate but once in so many revolutions of the armature shaft, a v

step down gear system is employed, and in this embodiment of our invention, embodies a worm 21 on the free end of the armature shaft meshing with a worm gear 22 secured upon a jack shaft 23 journaled iI the housing and carrying a worm 24 meshing with a worm gear 25 secured upon a second jack shaft 26 also journaled in the housing and at right angles to the shaft 23, the shaft 26 carrying a worm 27 meshing with a Worm gear 28 keyed to the coin shaft 16. By means of this step down gear system, it will be seen that the coin shaft revolves but once to a given number of revolutionsl of the armature shaft. For example, let it be assumed that the armature shaft revolves 1,750 R.' P. M. 4and it is 'desired to rotate the coin shaft once every half hour to displace the coin, assuming, of course, that the armature is revolving under full current` To ef feet this movement of the coinshaft from the armature' shaft, the ratio between the latter shaft and the coin shaft is 52,500 revolutions to 1. Thus, the armature shaft under full current strength will revolve 52,500 revolutions in one-half hour to' one revolution of the coin shaft. Previous to the coin shaft making a complete revolution, the ejectorpin abuts the stop 20 in the path of movement thereof and thereby placesthc vdisk 17 under tension-so that when the coin shaft lhas made a complete revolution, the" ejector pin will be released from the stop lug and thereby dislodge the coin from thezl,

contacts. The ejector pin in this operation will be thrown to the opposite side of the contacts so that the following coin may en gage the contacts, under the action of the plunger, and bridge `the circuit. j

A suitable counter 29 is fastened `to-the upper extremity of the coin shaft on the upper surface of the housing so that the number of revolutions of the coin shaft ma;T bel registered.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying draw- 1 ings, the construction, mode of operation and manner of employing our invention will be readily apparent. It will be seen that we have provided a circuit .controller whereby` A the circuit is bridged by a coin and remains closed for a predetermined` length of time and whereby the circuit is opened automatically at the expiration ofsuch time.

While we have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of ourv invention by way of illustration, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of 'construction herein described andldelineated, as modication and variation may be made Within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention. i

Furthermore, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the particular application `of the invention as herein shown, as our improved circuit controller may be applied to various other electrically operated machinery for controlling the iiow of a circuit for said device and having a pair of contacts therein vspaced apart and adapted to be bridged by a check, means for removing the check at a predetermined time, said means comprising a coin shaft, a

gear system intermediate said coin shaft and the movable element of said device for operating the former from the latter, and an ejector pin mounted upon the coin shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, means for holding said pin stationary, and tension means interposed between said coin shaft and ejector pin and, adapted to place the pin under tension in the independent movement of the coin shaft whereby the pin will be relieved of the influence of the holding means to eject the check from the contact. i

v 2.' The combination of' electric motor, a circuit therefor having a pair of `contacts therein spaced apart and adapted to lbe bridged by a coin, means for removing the.

coin at a predetermined number of revolutions of the motor armature, said means comprising a coin shaft, a step down gear system intermediate the armature shaft and coin shaft for operating the latter at. relatively less speed than the former,'and an ejector pin mounted eccentrically upon the coin shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, means for holding said pin stationary, and

tension means interposed between said coin shaftV and ejector pin and adapted to place movement of the coin shaft, wherebyV thev pin will be relieved of the influence of the holding mea-ns to eject the coin froml the contacts.

3. The combination of an electric motor, af

circuit therefor having a pair of contacts therein spaced apart and adapted to be bridged by a coin,'means for removing the coin at ai predetermined number of revolutions of the motor armature, said means comprising a coin'shaft, a step down gear` system intermediate the armature shaft and "coin shaft for operating the latter atrelatively less speed than the former, an ejector Apin mounted eccentrically upon the coin `the pin under tension in the independentv shaft andadapted to rotate therewith, means for holding said pin stationary, j tension means interposed between Vsaid coin shaft and ejector pin and adapted to place the pin under tension in the independent movement of the coin shaft,whereby 'the pin will be relieved of the influence of the holding means to eject the coin from the contacts,

' and means for feeding coins to said contacts successively. i

el. The combination of an electric motor, a

circuit therefor having a pair of contacts therein spaced apart and adapted to be bridged by a coin, means for removing the coin at a" predetermined number of revolutions ofthe motor armature, said means comprising a coin shaft, a stepped down gear system intermediate the larmature shaft and coin shaft for operating the latter at relatively less speed than the former, an ejectory pin mounted eccentrically upon the coin shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, means for holdingl said pin stationary, tension means interposed between said coin shaft and ejector Apin and adapted to place the pin under tension in the independent movement ofthe coin shaft, whereby the pin will be relieved of vthe influence of the holding means to eject the coin from the contacts, and means for feeding coins to said contacts successively," said last-named means comprising a coin magazine having a. slot therein and disposed in alinement with the contacts, and a plunger within the magazine and in engagement with the coins therein.

5. The combination with an electric motor,

' comprising a. coin shaft, :t stepdown gear system intermediate the armature shaft and coin shaft for operating the latter at a relatively less speedzthan the former, an' ejector pin mounted upon the coin shaft and adapted to rotate therewith, mea-ns for holding said pin stationary, tension means interposed -between said coin shaft and pin and adapted to place the pin under tension in theindependentmovement of the coin shaft whereby the pin willbe relievedv of" the nuence of' the holding means to e]ect the coin from the contacts, and means for controlling the flow of current to said circuitl while the contactsare bridged. Y

In testimony whereof we afiix our slgnetures in presence of two wltnesses. 

